There's much more to this lovely coastal city, of course - history, scenery, scores of great restaurants, walking tours, antiques galore ...

But no doubt the main attractions center on Hollywood and food.

Buses disgorge dozens of travelers at a time in front of Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons restaurant on Congress Street. They buy cookbooks and condiments in her shop next door.

Eavesdrop on any group of visitors, and they'll likely be asking about the "Forrest Gump bench" or any sights from "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

If you want to sit up straight on a park bench and talk about chok-lits, just pose in any of the city's 21 beautiful squares fringed with curly Spanish moss. The bench Tom Hanks sat on in Chippewa Square was actually just a prop and hauled away after the movie to the Savannah History Museum.

"Gump" was good for tourism, but "Midnight" was a mother lode.

"Midnight" the book came out in 1994 and the movie followed three years later, but even today the sensational story looms large in Savannah tourism. People take turns for the best photographic view of the Mercer House on Whitaker Street, the primary setting for John Berendt's blockbuster nonfiction tale of colorful local characters and murder.

The Huntsville TimesThe Savannah Trolley

Tour leaders point out Club One on Jefferson Street, where drag queen Lady Chablis still performs about once a month. ("She" played her outrageous, bad self in the movie.)

The "Bird Girl" statue, on the "Midnight" book cover, is practically the town symbol, found in miniature statues, silver charms, cookie boxes, shopping bags - you name it.

The Bird Girl wasn't a movie prop. It was a real statue in Bonaventure Cemetery that became such a symbol of the city after its publicity that it was moved to the city's Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences museum to protect it.

In the days before "Midnight," about 2 million to 3 million people visited Savannah each year. The number hit 9 million in 1996, Backus said, and has been pretty steady ever since at about 7 million.

"It's amazing what it did for our tourism," said Erica Backus, director of public relations for the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Plenty of tours

Trolleys depart from the tourism center (an 1858 train depot that also houses the city museum) on a regular basis. Although the Lonely Planet-type traveler wouldn't ride one, they're actually a pretty good start for a first-time visitor.

For 10 or 20 bucks and about 90 minutes of your time, you'll get an overview of the city as the tour guide spits out facts and trivia about architecture (Moorish influences!), history (everywhere), restaurants and more. Signs for the Savannah College of Art and Design are abundant - the school has restored dozens of historic buildings.

Savannah has a reputation of being one of the best "walking cities" in the country for visitors. The main sights are within a grid easily navigable on foot. The length of the historic district is about a half-mile, so a walk from beautiful Forsyth Park to the shops on River Street takes about 15 minutes.

Along the way, take note of the Juliette Gordon Low house on Oglethorpe Avenue, the birthplace of the founder of the Girl Scouts. Writer Flannery O'Connor's childhood home is on Charlton Street. The Colonial Cemetery on Abercorn Street dates to the 1750s. The First African Baptist Church on Montgomery Street is from 1777. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Harris Street has stunning twin Gothic spires.

In the touristy area along River Street on the Savannah River waterfront, the Waving Girl statue is another local landmark. After waving at passing ships for years, she died in 1943.

The Huntsville TimesThe Waving Girl in Savannah, GA.

River Street is chockablock with shops selling fresh, sugary pecan pralines and taffy, Savannah souvenirs and lunch specials. Antiques lovers will find shops selling paintings, furniture and signed prints. City Market has more interesting shops.

A group of women visiting from Tallassee, Ala., said two days wouldn't be enough to appreciate Savannah. They suggested four minimum, five's better.

To cover more ground, there's always the option of taking a themed tour.